It's a good question. I'd leave it up to the umpire to figure it out. If the pitcher gets hit by a pitch or has a wipe out while fielding or something then set the rule that he has to tell the plate umpire he's injured. The manager or catcher can't ask. Any pitching change that happens after a catcher or coach visit to the mound is automatically not an injury replacement unless the umpire waives the rules based on his assessment of the situation.

They're still going to be able to get some free injury replacements past the umps, using signs and such. But if you assess these changes after the fact and look for changes that suit what the manager would like to do in that situation (e.g. pulling a lefty out when facing a new batter from the other side) and where the pitcher didn't go on the DL or anything then label these changes as "(potentially) problematic - injury not apparent" (PINO) replacements. Give each pitcher 2 or 3 a season and after that they get fined $1,000. Or whatever amount is enough for them to be able to ignore the catchers signs and keep pitching.

And for the rare pitcher with chronic problems, the league doctors could assess and grant an increased number of PINO replacements while dealing with the chronic injury.

The Bytown Boozer wrote:So my choice on who to cheer for in the World Series is between the team with the most obnoxious fans in professional sports and the team with the most racist logo in professional sports.

The Bytown Boozer wrote:So my choice on who to cheer for in the World Series is between the team with the most obnoxious fans in professional sports and the team with the most racist logo in professional sports.

Hard pass from me, folks. Hope they both lose somehow.

So in a way it's similar to the presidential election?

To a certain extent, although I highly doubt Tribe fans will try to lynch Joe Maddon once the series is over.

Artie said something a few years back about the difference between CH and the Expos. One is passion, one is love. He was quoting someone but that was the gist of it. I thought that explained it well. You follow the teams but from a different emotional well. Maybe I look back at Raines and co. differently than I do Lafleur and Robinson because the latter group won, not sure. I do know I'll get back to Cooperstown and stare at their busts without talking for a long time. I doubt I'll go the HHoF again, unless Mike McPhee gets in.

That's an interesting way to describe it. I associate the expos with the simplicity of my childhood, it was all love 'cause I think I was mostly in love with the players from the late 90s onward. I started following the expos around 7, so I never really got carried away with winning/losing, management and rivalries the way I do with the habs.